Although I appreciate this is never going to happen, I believe there is a strong possibility that the CPS could mount a successful fraud prosecution against the McCanns for the setting up and running of a fraudulent Foundation Fund without the Portuguese authorities first attaining a conviction against them in relation to the disappearance of their daughter. As previously stated, the burden of proof required to gain a fraud conviction would be far lower than attaining a murder/manslaughter conviction, because it would only be necessary to show that they had some form of knowledge as to what had transpired with their daughter, as opposed to actual participation in the crime.

In my considered opinion, there is enough circumstantial evidence in the voluminous accumulation of interviews, video recordings, statements etc. to cast serious doubts on their continued insistence that they have no knowledge of what fate befell their daughter, or their belief that no harm has come to her. Any such prosecution would also have the added advantage that the McCanns would never run the risk of testifying in their defence. Where it can be shown that there is a case to answer, juries always give preference to defence evidence given under oath. In other words, jurors want to hear a defendant’s own account of the evidence against them.

Of course, this is pure speculation, but I would probably bet the deeds of my house that there have been many irregularities that have occurred during the course of running this fund over the past 7 yrs. which would in its self constitute fraud. I’d be very surprised indeed if the fund would be able sustain an in depth forensic investigation into its accounts over the yrs. if all the documentation were seized. Particularly the accounts relating to the various private investigation companies they have allegedly lost money to. It would be a win, win situation for the CPS, because even if they failed to convince a jury that the McCanns did have knowledge regarding the disappearance of their daughter, there would still be enough evidence to show that the fund itself, regardless of its legitimacy at inception , had been fraudulently run over the past 7 yrs.

I have personally known of many fraud cases over the yrs. where there has been no more and in some instances less evidence than that which could be elicited from the McCann’s Foundation Fund. However, as stated in my opening para. the McCanns will never be prosecuted because for some obscure reason, possibly related to them being members of the medical profession, there is no desire to do so, in fact there is a positive drive to avoid prosecuting them for any offence, at any cost. As can be seen from the current media campaign, no stone will be left unturned in the cause to ensure the McCanns will never be prosecuted for any offence relating to the disappearance of their daughter. Where there’s no will, there’s no way.

@diatribe wrote:Although I appreciate this is never going to happen, I believe there is a strong possibility that the CPS could mount a successful fraud prosecution against the McCanns for the setting up and running of a fraudulent Foundation Fund without the Portuguese authorities first attaining a conviction against them in relation to the disappearance of their daughter. As previously stated, the burden of proof required to gain a fraud conviction would be far lower than attaining a murder/manslaughter conviction, because it would only be necessary to show that they had some form of knowledge as to what had transpired with their daughter, as opposed to actual participation in the crime.

In my considered opinion, there is enough circumstantial evidence in the voluminous accumulation of interviews, video recordings, statements etc. to cast serious doubts on their continued insistence that they have no knowledge of what fate befell their daughter, or their belief that no harm has come to her. Any such prosecution would also have the added advantage that the McCanns would never run the risk of testifying in their defence. Where it can be shown that there is a case to answer, juries always give preference to defence evidence given under oath. In other words, jurors want to hear a defendant’s own account of the evidence against them.

Of course, this is pure speculation, but I would probably bet the deeds of my house that there have been many irregularities that have occurred during the course of running this fund over the past 7 yrs. which would in its self constitute fraud. I’d be very surprised indeed if the fund would be able sustain an in depth forensic investigation into its accounts over the yrs. if all the documentation were seized. Particularly the accounts relating to the various private investigation companies they have allegedly lost money to. It would be a win, win situation for the CPS, because even if they failed to convince a jury that the McCanns did have knowledge regarding the disappearance of their daughter, there would still be enough evidence to show that the fund itself, regardless of its legitimacy at inception , had been fraudulently run over the past 7 yrs.

I have personally known of many fraud cases over the yrs. where there has been no more and in some instances less evidence than that which could be elicited from the McCann’s Foundation Fund. However, as stated in my opening para. the McCanns will never be prosecuted because for some obscure reason, possibly related to them being members of the medical profession, there is no desire to do so, in fact there is a positive drive to avoid prosecuting them for any offence, at any cost. As can be seen from the current media campaign, no stone will be left unturned in the cause to ensure the McCanns will never be prosecuted for any offence relating to the disappearance of their daughter. Where there’s no will, there’s no way.

I agree with you - is it hoping too much that the Fraud squad are already scrutinising the Fund?

On July 10 2011, in the wake of reports that its journalists had hacked messages from the phone of a dead child, the News of the World published its 8,674th and last edition.

It called itself “The world’s greatest newspaper”. Others called it “The paper that died of shame”.

Beneath the hyperbole lay a simple economic truth. The first line of copy in Edition No. 1 of the News of the World, dated Sunday October 1 1843, read:

“THE CHEAPEST AND BEST MODE OF ADVERTISING”

News International’s problem now, though, was that advertisers wouldn’t touch it with a surgical glove. And so James Murdoch pulled the plug. The paper was history.

But what had happened to the News of the World Find Madeleine Reward Fund?

The paper had splashed its £1.5m headline reward figure alongside a picture of Madeleine and three phone numbers to call with information.

(One of these was its own news desk, which you could call “in strict confidence”. Whether this meant that the newspaper would fail to share your information with the police is unclear.)

The paper had also invited readers to add their money - cash donations - to the headline pledges from the paper and its contingent of celebrities. It had set up a bank account , No. 52135590, Sort Code 40-36-15, at HSBC in Cathedral Square, Peterborough, just down the road from News International’s accounts department.

Over the months that followed, for some reason, it never told its readers how much it had collected.

In its final edition, although Madeleine’s name and picture had often appeared on its front page, her story wasn’t one of those it splashed across its 48-page Souvenir Pullout. But beneath a copy of a front page from December 15 2010 (WORLD EXCLUSIVE | CAUGHT BY THE BAILS. HURLEY CHEATS.. WITH SHANE) it had marked the key events of 2007:

THREE-YEAR-OLD Madeleine McCann is reported missing in Portugal by her parents Kate and Gerry. Gordon Brown replaces Tony Blair as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister.

That was it. The last chance to tell the readers was gone. Who would now know?

Early in December 2013, Gerry McCann was contacted by email at the University of Hospital of Leicester, where he is a Consultant Cardiologist.

He was asked what had happened to the Reward Fund. His reply, within the hour, was courteous and clear:

That is something you will need to take up with News International.

My understanding is that the reward was made up of pledges.

Gerry

News International, of course, no longer existed. On June 26th 2013, it had re-branded itself as News UK.

But fourteen months earlier, in September 2011,

it was still News International.

Ten weeks after the company had shut down the News of the World, a Press Officer was asked by email:

1. Is (the Reward Fund) still active?

2. How much was raised and what has happened to the funds since?

3. Given the demise of the newspaper, who is now responsible for the administration of this account?

4. What are the current plans for the Fund?

The reply, six days later, was also courteous and clear:

Thank you for your enquiry.

I can confirm that the funds raised by the appeal were donated in April this year (2011) to the official Madeleine Fund and the fund created by News of the World is no longer active.

(More follows..)

____________________

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie — deliberate, contrived and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.~John F. Kennedy

On July 10 2011, in the wake of reports that its journalists had hacked messages from the phone of a dead child, the News of the World published its 8,674th and last edition.

It called itself “The world’s greatest newspaper”. Others called it “The paper that died of shame”.

Beneath the hyperbole lay a simple economic truth. The first line of copy in Edition No. 1 of the News of the World, dated Sunday October 1 1843, read:

“THE CHEAPEST AND BEST MODE OF ADVERTISING”

News International’s problem now, though, was that advertisers wouldn’t touch it with a surgical glove. And so James Murdoch pulled the plug. The paper was history.

But what had happened to the News of the World Find Madeleine Reward Fund?

The paper had splashed its £1.5m headline reward figure alongside a picture of Madeleine and three phone numbers to call with information.

(One of these was its own news desk, which you could call “in strict confidence”. Whether this meant that the newspaper would fail to share your information with the police is unclear.)

The paper had also invited readers to add their money - cash donations - to the headline pledges from the paper and its contingent of celebrities. It had set up a bank account , No. 52135590, Sort Code 40-36-15, at HSBC in Cathedral Square, Peterborough, just down the road from News International’s accounts department.

Over the months that followed, for some reason, it never told its readers how much it had collected.

In its final edition, although Madeleine’s name and picture had often appeared on its front page, her story wasn’t one of those it splashed across its 48-page Souvenir Pullout. But beneath a copy of a front page from December 15 2010 (WORLD EXCLUSIVE | CAUGHT BY THE BAILS. HURLEY CHEATS.. WITH SHANE) it had marked the key events of 2007:

THREE-YEAR-OLD Madeleine McCann is reported missing in Portugal by her parents Kate and Gerry. Gordon Brown replaces Tony Blair as leader of the Labour Party and Prime Minister.

That was it. The last chance to tell the readers was gone. Who would now know?

Early in December 2013, Gerry McCann was contacted by email at the University of Hospital of Leicester, where he is a Consultant Cardiologist.

He was asked what had happened to the Reward Fund. His reply, within the hour, was courteous and clear:

That is something you will need to take up with News International.

My understanding is that the reward was made up of pledges.

Gerry

News International, of course, no longer existed. On June 26th 2013, it had re-branded itself as News UK.

But fourteen months earlier, in September 2011,

it was still News International.

Ten weeks after the company had shut down the News of the World, a Press Officer was asked by email:

1. Is (the Reward Fund) still active?

2. How much was raised and what has happened to the funds since?

3. Given the demise of the newspaper, who is now responsible for the administration of this account?

4. What are the current plans for the Fund?

The reply, six days later, was also courteous and clear:

Thank you for your enquiry.

I can confirm that the funds raised by the appeal were donated in April this year (2011) to the official Madeleine Fund and the fund created by News of the World is no longer active.

(More follows..)

____________________

The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie — deliberate, contrived and dishonest — but the myth — persistent, persuasive and unrealistic.~John F. Kennedy